Tuesday, January 13, 2015

I suppose my first article/blog/post/whatever should tell the story behind the name, "Nurphy's Law." When I was a senior in college, attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2006, I bought a class ring to commemorate my memories of being a Saluki. I had just spent the better part of four years working for a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies. All I wanted was something to remember the good times.

I hadn't worn a class ring since high school, Crystal Lake Central (Crystal Lake, IL). I probably got it in the summer after my freshman year. It had a soccer ball on one side and probably a music staff or a winged track shoe on the other. It said Murph on one side and 2002 on the other. I wore it everyday until sometime after my Junior year when I gave it to my then-girlfriend, Heather. I insisted she keep it after I went off to college the following year. I'm guessing she still has it, tucked away in a closet somewhere.

Anyway, I don't remember if Sara went with me to get my class ring or not, I think she did. We had joked that important things like this, getting something that symbolizes such an important and fun time in my life, usually find a way to get screwed up. It's bound to happen, just Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. We joked that with my luck, they'd probably screw up the name inscribed on the inside of the band. I bet Sara it would say something like Ryan R. Nurphy. And the Nurphy's Law joke was born.

Since then, Sara and I still refer to Nurphy's Law from time to time, the sort of double-pun of my (and now her) luck. Like John Cusack says in Grosse Pointe Blank, "Dumb fuckin' luck."